I’m a bit behind the eight ball in getting my 2022 Intention Words out. They were created on the New Moon of January 2nd and have been very much part of my presence and practice over the past couple of weeks but I was resistant to getting my butt in the chair to write about them here. I guess Lee Harris’s January energy update is alive in me. He did share that this January; the prompting is to go inward instead of launching out of the gate. We can wait until February this year for that energy to arrive. Thanks, Lee for giving me permission to not get too critical with myself…lol.
For those of you who have followed me for a while, you will be well aware of my New Year’s practice of creating my intention words that guide the overall vision of my year. Like many, I found that New Year’s resolutions did not have enough motivation past January to make any impact on the whole year. My words on the other hand create a framework for what I have chosen to invite into my life during the coming year. Whether I look at them often or they slip into the background of my awareness, they always carry the strength to draw the people, experiences and ideas to enrich my year.
Preparation
Creating the right space is the most important ingredient to getting clear intention words. I provide myself with a window of time that I can call my own and not be interrupted. Then I get my tea, journal, oracle cards, essential oils in the diffuser and an oracle or tarot deck of my choice. With soft relaxing music, I settle into a mediation to ground in my body. Now I am ready to journal about the year I have just come through. The highlights, the challenges, the insights and whatever else flows from my pen. Then I allow myself to invite the vision of what I want the new year to feel like. From this, words or phrases come to me. It’s like writing a letter to Santa as a child. We tend to ask for things that will make us feel a certain way. Each word has its own unique meaning. Allow me to share my 2022 Intention Words with you now.
- Deep Connection
As I am beginning this year still on my sabbatical, I am taking a couple of online classes and a spiritual program to support this deepening practice. It is a desire to know myself and my journey more intimately. I would like this deeper connection to flow into my work with my students and clients. - Innovation
As we seem to be at a worldwide crossroad of change, I have been witnessing the clarity for myself and others of what no longer works. Sometimes the trickier part of letting go is to know what to replace the old with. I welcome in the energy of innovation to my life. Welcoming out of the box thinking, synergy and alchemy. - Exploration
To support the innovation, I am welcoming in a focus for exploring new things. It could mean listening to new music, reading books I would not normally pick up, engaging in conversations with radical openness. Shake things up and allow new neural pathways to engage. - Playfullness
This past couple of years has been a marathon of growth and not all days were joyful. I can get very serious when I am trying to understand what’s going on and how to maneuver rough waters. I am craving more laughter and lightness. It’s time to welcome that youthful free spirit back into my everyday living. Maybe I’ll join a couple of Cathy Nesbitt online laughter yoga sessions to spark some happy hormones.
These are my words for the year. They ignite a good feeling when I read them and anticipation of how they will manifest in the weeks and months to come. To give them a bit more visual presence this year, I have done the following. I did a full card spread with The Muse Tarot deck by Chris-Ann. Then I embarked in creating a vision board with the focus of my words and the guidance offered by the cards. My Vision board is not complete yet. I am searching out more magazines to complete it. Watch for a finished picture on my social media pages. This will hang in my office where I can allow it to inspire me throughout the year.
I have had clients write me to share their experiences with creating intention words. Some have found a picture that reflects each word for them, framed them and placed them in a significant spot in their home. Some create cue cards and use them for bookmarks or tape them to their mirrors. Some have done separate journal entries for each word and expanded on how the word inspires them. Let your imagination run free and see what you come up with. I can see candles, essential oils blends, bath salts, bracelets, songs etc. Have some fun.
I love to hear about the ideas that you come up with or questions you may have. Please share your magic. Happy 2022 intentions!
Till next time,
As I mused about what to share this week, a client came and told me about an article she has just read in a local publication. It was a letter written by a woman to her body and my client said I am going to put this letter where I can read it every day and remember how special my body is! She believed that it was likely many of us could relate to the essence of the message. I agree…it is a common theme. Here is the letter:
In my reiki classes and practice days I always have a beautiful beeswax pillar candle set in the middle of a table alter surrounded by crystals. We light it at the opening of our time together and extinguish it after our final prayer circle. I always felt that it provided more than a beautiful centerpiece and after listening to a networking colleague share his wisdom on the health benefits of pure beeswax, I understood why. And since it is earth month, I thought I would share what I have learned. 
All around the world, International Women’s Day represents an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women while calling for greater equality. Make It Happen is the 2015 theme for our 
A few years ago I wrote about “
Every year I purchase science and discovery type magazines for my family to read over the Christmas holidays and this year was no exception. An article entitled “Could this Apple Poison Me?” in the 
I participated on a panel of experts at the recent Annual Richmond Hill Library Health Fair with 7 other incredible practitioners. We were given the opportunity to introduce our specific health modalities and then the moderator guided us through a few questions pertinent to the season. It was a wonderful experience to realize how unified we were on our overall principals AND the different perspectives we brought to the table that served the whole spectrum of well-being. A super important focus for this time of year was being asked to give our 1 unique tip for supporting a healthy immune system. Here are 8 ways from the list of experts. (I hope I remember them correctly!)
I just facilitated a workshop on the topic of FEAR – something that we all deal with in varying degrees for most of our lives. We are born with only two instinctual fears, that of falling and loud noises. All others are learned. This does not mean they are not real, just that they are learned from life experience. This is a huge topic and I intend to just touch on a few valuable tips to keep fear in check. Fear can be paralyzing. If given the power, fear will prevent us from doing and having things in our lives that we say we want.
What? Toxins in feminine hygiene products, what am I talking about?! This blog is sensitive and yet very important for me to share with my readers. This year has brought me up close and personal with some of the very issues that one of my networking groups is so passionate about; educating the public on current practices and statistics that affect the health and well-being of people and the planet. The last film to be viewed was entitled, “Unacceptable Levels” which exposed the toxic chemical load in many products that we use every day 
This past month we have experienced some wild weather patterns in southern Ontario and it was on one of those thunderstorm days that a Red Tailed Hawk shared a message with me and my friend.
Many of my clients ask me what I use for skin care and make-up as we begin to realize how many chemicals are in the favourite products that we use every day from deodorant to shampoo and this time of year; sunscreen! It’s a fabulous question and one that I continue to learn more about every day. Being fair skinned, I have used face make-up since I was a young teenager and I realize that my body was exposed to harsh chemicals for years. I trust that my body is always ready to spring back and respond to healthy changes and so today I have a completely different approach with that of organic skin care.
I watched the evening news one day last week and was saddened to see a story on vaccines that reported parents were not being responsible if they chose not to vaccinate their children. The report was explaining that there is a rise in childhood illnesses like measles because of the parents who are making the choice not to vaccinate.
I was asked by a colleague yesterday “How do we stay positive when the negativity creeps in?” Here in southern Ontario as with many other regions in Canada and the northeastern states, we are still in winter weather conditions. Last night we experienced -15 and though it has warmed up a bit today, the snow flurries have arrived. Even the winter enthusiasts are waning and looking forward to warmer spring conditions. The top world news stories do not paint a beautiful picture of peace and the astrological shifts are definitely stirring up the status quo. So, the question is a really great one and I thought I would share some of my thoughts on it here. Of course I am hoping that it will encourage others to share their strategies and tips as well. Below are 6 tips to staying positive.
I had the opportunity to appear on Rogers Daytime TV this morning as part of the 
Happy 2014! It is vividly cold for us here in Southern Ontario yet the sun is shining and that combination makes me feel very alive! I am reminded that I always find myself feeling this alive and connected at the close of each month’s Women’s Circle. The Power of the Circle never ceases to amaze me – there is a foundational peace that resides when a group of like-minded people gather together in circle.
This is a follow up to my 
In her public television special 
Have you been noticing the shifts lately? You know the ones that are bringing up old stuff that are calling to be released! Planetary influences are all about “releasing what no longer serves us” so I have been noticing with many clients and in my own life opportunities to release and to transform our thoughts and perceptions. I took my reiki mastery training with Dean Noblett and Rebecca Couch of 
Process Your Emotions Honestly Feeling makes you human. Allow your emotions to express themselves within you truthfully. Just be with them as they arise, because you have a right to feel however you do. Stay with them until you can name them – but don’t get stuck in them and don’t hurt yourself or anyone else with them! You are not your emotions; you are oh-so-much more.
Cultural Creatives are a growing segment of the Western population transforming mainstream culture. Driven by their holistic values, integrated worldview and ability to synthesize vast amounts of information with an inner vision (insight) of wholeness, Cultural Creatives are in the author’s words, an “emerging wisdom culture”.
“Old age merely reveals all the problems the person has failed to solve in his life.” Luis Martins Simoes
L – Life
There is one constant in this universe and that is change! We tend to create stress in our lives when we are constantly looking for stability, defined as “no changes”. We can definitely create stability however it looks different. It is an inner state rather than an outer state. And with so many of my clients feeling the effects of change and transition very intensely right now, my attention was peaked while reading the 
This topic has come about so frequently with clients and in my own life over the past few weeks that it felt like a great topic to write about. This subject of mirroring is not a simple process to understand however it can be very powerful. In the big picture, I always say that “we do not see the world as it is, we see the world as we are!” This means that we interpret our outer experiences from the perspective that we hold at any given time. If we wake up one morning over-tired and not in a great mood, the experiences of our day seem to reflect that mood that we hold! As Abraham would say:, “The worse it gets, the worse it gets!!” Thankfully, the opposite is true too:, “The better it gets, the better it gets! 
I recently received a comment from a reader on my 
Back in 1995 a new best seller hit the bookstores called “
To continue along the same vein as 
Is what you are experiencing in your life what you want it to be? We all want to put responsibility on outside influences for things that are causing us stress, challenge and discomfort, but that is so limiting. The most powerful stance we can take is one of personal responsibility because then there is hope for change. This is definitely not implying blame and guilt, far from it. We only know what we know and we are generally making choices in each moment based on that! So – the opportunities are endless if we come from a position of personal responsibility.
Here is a personal account of how Electro Magnetic Frequencies (EMF) have affected our family. I found myself sharing with a client yesterday, the journey our family went through to discover what the root cause of my husband’s discomfort was a few years back and decided it might be relevant to share it here with you.
Happy 2013 to all!! As we move fully into this new year and new beginnings, what energy do you feel it holds for you? I typically begin my new year not with resolutions but a few words or phrases that hold a feeling of what I want to invite into my year ahead.
Well – here we are 1 week before Christmas day and 2 weeks left in 2012! I know you may be fully engulfed in preparing for the activities that are abundant right now so what am I doing talking about “preparing for new beginnings”?
As we enter into the final weeks towards our Christmas season, it is inevitable that we will be stretched dealing with a multitude of expectations and relationship challenges that often accompany this time of year. I found myself reflecting on this set of commandments written by Kent M. Keith in a book of the same title. “Do it Anyway; The handbook for finding happiness in a crazy world.” Let me share it with you here.
I am awesome! Yes – I just wrote that statement, a humble Canadian! It has taken a lot of practice, let me tell you. It appears that we Canadians have a reputation for not being able to acknowledge our greatness – we are just fantastic at acknowledging other peoples greatness! You see, the real eye opener took place about 3 weeks ago when I was at chorus rehearsal. It was the week before leaving for our International competition in Denver, Colorado and we were tweaking our performance package with the unbelievably amazing Erin Howden, our choreographer. Half way through the night after almost standing on her head to get a point across about how much we needed to transcend the footlights with our expression and energy – she asked us to do a little exercise.
I was speaking at a Women’s Conference last week about Work/Life Balance and one of the points that was raised more than once was, “I know what I should be doing, it’s just that I don’t do it! Which is then followed by reasons such as life is too busy, I don’t know where to find the time or I just don’t know WHY I don’t do it! So how then do we live the tenets of wellness?
Have you ever found yourself saying something like; I’ve been working so hard that when I finally get some time off, all I want to do is sleep. Or – now that I have made enough money to do some traveling, my health isn’t going to support it. It’s not like our bodies haven’t been trying to give us signals before we are exhausted or our health is challenged – the trouble is we have learned to stop listening. I know that I am no exception to this and realize that is the reason my work is centered around connecting to the communication of our body, emotions and inner voice.
I recently was questioned by one of my sons as to why we don’t use toothpaste with fluoride. He said, “I know you have told me it’s not good, but why isn’t it”? Great question and a great wake-up call for me. As my sons are all young adults now, they are fully capable of making their own health decisions once armed with the knowledge. So, I pulled out my health file and shared a couple of articles and references with him and said – you get to choose whether you want a fluoride toothpaste or not. Here is a link to the 
How do we balance the effects of stress? That’s been the focus of a majority of my clients lately so I felt it time to share some thoughts on this incredibly important subject. You see, most of us have grown up with the idea that Self Care is Selfish! We were taught to always look after others first however in any emergency situation, we are taught the opposite. When you travel by air, the safety instructions in the event that oxygen masks are needed is to put yours on first and then you can be sure you are able to assist others! So – it’s time to revisit the importance of self care and create a new plan of action so that we keep our energy fuel tank at a healthy operating level. I found a wonderful article from Elizabeth Scott, M.S. that I agree with on for 10 self care strategies.
The Throat Chakra – The Great Purity Center
“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly!” Richard Bach
What’s your love language? It may be Valentine’s Day today, however any day is a good day to ask ourselves this question. In his book titled “
Do you find your happiness is dependent on the external circumstances of your life?
Welcome to realizing your goals in 2012! I am excited to begin this year as I feel the shift of new beginnings and new ways of being! Whether you are a resolutions making type or not – the New Year often brings up questions of “what’s next!” for all of us. Though I do not create resolutions per se, for the past few years I come up with a word or phrase which becomes an overall theme for what I do in the year. My words last year were Clarify and Expand and as I reflect on the year, it was a definite theme!! This year,
In my reiki master’s home is a plaque that speaks to me every time that I see it. So whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hannukkah or a holiday season by any other name, I hope this will resonate with you in the coming weeks. It reads:
Last Friday was a special day! I got to balance work and play! I spent the afternoon with my husband and 5 other couples making apple pies. This has become an annual event and we all look so forward to the comradery and the fact that we have beautiful apple pies in our freezer to pull out throughout the year for a special dessert.
11-11-11 was a special day whose significance extends beyond its unique date. It was special because the entire world shared in the hope, blessings and meaning of this day. Around the world people shared conversations that focused on enlightenment, possibilities and potential. But the world didn’t end (it wasn’t supposed to) and we continue with our life journey. Now that 11-11-11 has come and gone, we must focus on carrying the energy’s momentum into the days following it. We do that by practicing integration, staying aligned with our intentions and putting them into practice to live at our peak performance every day. Like any other energetic shift, it’s what we do after it happens that is important. As Jennifer Hoffman simply put it, “
I recently spoke at a wellness event about life balance with reference to the Enneagram. This is an important focus for me and hence the tag line under my business name. There are many ways to look at balancing our lives and all of them will bring awareness because we are taking time to reflect on our own situation. If we did this more frequently, we may even avoid the experience of spending long periods of our life out of balance!
I was asked by a reader to discuss my views on reiki and religion. As an active Christian member in my church and a reiki practitioner for over 15 years, I felt drawn to respond to the request. In fact, I just led a healing service this past summer at our church while our minister was on holidays. I was able to find numerous supporting scripture verses to support “laying on of hands” as a healing modality. My initial reiki Master taught that “reiki takes care” as she would have students in her classes of different religious background or those who didn’t have a specific religious belief. In these three words, I would also hear, “God takes care”, as it is not the reiki practitioner who does the healing. We provide the channel for the universal life force to come through and provide whatever healing is required for the person’s highest interest. These wise words of guidance take the responsibility for healing away from the practitioner. In fact, my focus is to get out of the way and not let my ego take a lead role in the session. So – my own inner belief is that I am supported by God to bring love through me to provide healing which can often be called energy healing. As a person experiences this energy healing, they in turn often connect to their inner guidance that always knows what is true. As such it can be difficult to describe as each person experiences the healing in a different way pending their current physical condition, their belief systems and their ability to tune into the messages of their body.
Fall is officially here and so too is the fourth quarter of 2011! I attended a wonderful business symposium last week entitled “Business Innovation in Changing Times”. It was focused to give small and medium sized businesses access to ideas and insights to adapt their businesses to the changing marketplace. The afternoon keynote speaker was Arlene Dickinson, CEO of Venture Communications and co-star of CBC’s Dragons Den. She shared real stories of her life journey and the lessons she learned about how to succeed in business and as an entrepreneur. They were tough, funny and very relate-able, especially for the women in the audience. Arlene highlighted the incredible opportunity we have in Canada to live a life that we choose. To remember what motivates us and to take opportunities when they present themselves and figure out the how tos along the way. I look forward to reading more about her life lessons from her new book “Persuasion”.
I tell people what really drew me to reiki and to the Enneagram was the ability to connect with my truth. What’s the big deal with this anyway? I believe that there is a direct correlation between connecting to our truth and true health and happiness.
“The beginning is always today.” ~Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley~
“According to A Course in Miracles, everything in life involves relationship. Relationships with other people are “assignments,” in which two or more are brought together for maximal and mutual growth opportunity. Our relationships can be trips to heaven or trips to hell, depending on how we ourselves choose to perceive and interact with others.